Eight years in the making, according to co-creators Joe Deagnon and Kirby Stasyna, CHICKEN OUTFIT is a melting pot of lowbrow comic art, horror movies, science fiction and lewd behavior that follows Rusty McDoodle – a down on his luck artist (in a chicken suit) living in a city full of lunatics – and his best friend Stan Munson, a technological whiz kid whose secret passion, when not working for the world’s largest adult novelties company (Xber Xabre), is building the ultimate sex-doll.

With this first issue Deagnon and Stasyna introduce us to the main cast, including the eccentric psychic Headcast and his friend William. When Stan’s latest experiment goes horribly wrong, transforming from nude robo-slut to gross, demonic monstrosity, he calls up the unemployed and woefully depressed Rusty for a much needed drink and a job offer. Meanwhile, at The Psychic Cavern, the already unstable Headcast has a deadly premonition made up of monsters, maggots and chickens.

The issue ends with a mysterious armada of aliens flying around in sperm-like spaceships talking about what they’re doing after work – probably the least bizarre moment in the book thus far – with the story presumably leading to one or all of the characters discovering the source of their otherworldly encounters. It is a bit of a slow burn to start with, but enough of the pieces are in place for the story to really get interesting next issue.

The script is sharp witted with enough banter between McDoodle and Munson to showcase their critical view of life while highlighting distinctive traits for each character. Perhaps the only thing this issue doesn’t address is why McDoodle wears a chicken suit, or what Xber Xabre’s involvement in the scheme of things is (yet). On the plus side, Deagnon’s artwork is refreshingly different than your typical mainstream comic. His illustrative style actually reminds me a lot of Everett Peck (Duckman, Squirrel Boy) or Jeffery Brown (Incredible Change-Bots) with an edgy underground comix sort of tone.

Overall, pretty entertaining for a first issue meant to set the general plot in motion. There’s the right amount of scathing social satire to elicit a few laughs and just enough mystery to grab your attention and get you interested in picking up issue #2.

Rondal is the Editor-in-Chief of Strange Kids Club and a creative instigator who tackles each day with Red Bull-induced enthusiasm and a mind for adventure. Rondal has written for other sites including Rue Morgue, Fuel Your Illustration and Bloodsprayer. His obsession with horror movies, 80s animation and action figures is considered unhealthy by medical professionals.